Loyal, friendly, protective, affectionate, fun. Those qualities have earned dogs a special place in the lives and hearts of humans. Most dogs now are owned as pets mainly because they are THE ideal pets. A dog will always try to keep you pleased and smiling. It will never hold grudges against you, and will never judge you for your looks or mistakes. It isn’t called man’s best friend for nothing.

Dogs have a basic need for shelter, good nutrition, exercise and companionship. A dog will rely on its owner for all of these needs, in addition to training and protection. These are all basic needs, but really, what a dog needs the most is veterinary care. If a person has a dog for a pet, it is a good idea to ensure that it is seen by a vet regularly. Dogs are prone to a wide array of illnesses and diseases and it is best that he gets vaccinated against these diseases. Some of the most fatal diseases that a dog should be administered with a vaccine against are listed below.

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Although pet insurance has been available for approximately 20 years, many pet owners have never heard of it and are surprised that such a thing would even exist. After all, insurance is for people, right? Well, if you have ever had to empty your savings account in order to pay for a pet’s surgery or if you have ever had to put a beloved pet to sleep because you couldn’t afford medical care, then you can absolutely testify to the usefulness and worth of pet insurance.

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Ask the average person to tell you whether a dog is happy or not, and they will advise you to look at its tail -- if the dog is happy, the tail is wagging. Yes. But this is only partly true. Some tail wags have totally different meanings. This can be especailly important in understanding canine body language.

- A rapid tail wag, where the tail swings from side-to-side in a not very large, but constant way, is actually a sign of excitement rather than pleasure.
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Veterinarians warn about dogs slipping into the fleshy grip of the obesity epidemic, much like their owners. About 30% of the dog population is overweight. Fat dogs may suffer obesity-related diseases such as heart and circulatory diseases, joint problems and diabetes. Fat dogs are also more prone to respiratory problems, cancer, reproductive disorders and suffer a decreased quality of life. Overweight dogs need to be rehabilitated by: less calories from food and more exercise. It is that simple! A quick test for you to check upon your dog’s weight status is that it should be easy to feel the ribs and there should be no fat hanging from its abdomen.

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People want to feel protected in their homes and many feel that they can achieve this peace of mind by acquiring a dog that has been bred to guard. The truth is that any dog with a bark loud enough to scare away a stranger or alert you to the presence of an intruder makes a good guard dog; and, for the average homeowner who is seeking a four-legged “early warning system”, just about any breed will do. Every dog is territorial to some degree and will know who does and doesn’t belong on his territory.

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